You Can Ditch the Mosh Pit for the Spa at These Luxury Music Festivals

If you’re feeling a little too old to camp out at Coachella — fending off dust with a bandana just to see Beyoncé and Eminem perform live on back to back days — then KAABOO might be just what you’re looking for.

Alive Coverage

An elevated festival experience that prioritizes comfort, hospitality, and customer service, KAABOO has been setting itself apart from music festivals like Coachella and The Governors Ball since its inaugural Del Mar, California event in 2015.

After finding himself disappointed with the amenities at music festivals he attended with his daughter, founder and CEO Bryan Gordon was inspired to create a multi-generational event with an emphasis on comfort. “Bryan discovered that only a small percentage of guests attending festivals were receiving a VIP-level experience, and so the idea for an elevated music festival was born,” said Jason Felts, KAABOO’s chief brand and marketing officer, in an interview.

A self-proclaimed “anti-dirt event,” KAABOO takes the roughing it out of the traditional festival experience. There’s no need to spend 12 hours on your feet to hear live music; general admission tickets to KAABOO include access to spa services, pool cabanas, ample shade, air-conditioned spaces, and flushing toilets — which may be the most attractive of all the swanky selling points.

Catering to the more mature, refined live music lover has paid off. KAABOO is about to host its fourth Del Mar festival, and is premiering events in Grand Cayman and Texas in 2019.

The talent in each of the categories is accordingly top-notch. Music headliners at this year’s Del Mar festival, which is going down September 14-16, include Katy Perry, Foo Fighters, and Imagine Dragons — and at the seated indoor comedy club, Craig Ferguson, Judd Apatow, and more will perform standup.

Alive Coverage

Guests can peruse art exhibits, enjoy bites by chefs like Ludo Lefebvre and Daniela Soto-Innes, and relax with massages.

“KAABOO Del Mar is our flagship event, and therefore built the platform model for our family of events,” said Felts. “Each event proudly displays a flare of its local culture and personality within the brand.”

Alive Coverage

Guests heading to Grand Cayman over February 15-16, 2019 will encounter a distinctly island event — right across the street from the renowned Seven Mile Beach. Here, the lineup includes Duran Duran, Sean Paul, Jason Derulo, Counting Crows, and more. Comedians Wanda Sykes, Darrell Hammond, David Spade, and Jenny Slate will take the stage, and there will be no shortage of Caribbean flavors and art.

KAABOO Texas will be the biggest of the brand's festivals to date, taking place at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in mid-May 2019. The lineup will be announced early next year.

Our series Reasons to Travel Now highlights the news, events, and openings that have us scoping out plane tickets each day.